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Aussies steal the show in Glasgow

Julian Drape

Glasgow has handed over the Commonwealth Games flag to the Gold Coast during a closing ceremony that featured Kylie Minogue and an Australian athlete gatecrashing the stage.

While Kylie was the star of the show at Hampden Park, performing a seven-song set, Australian steeplechaser Genevieve LaCaze did her best to steal the pop star's thunder, dancing on stage in her team uniform.

That was until she was ushered off the stage by officials.

Glasgow organisers ran with a party atmosphere on Sunday night, weaving a love story into the celebration inspired by a "typical" night out in Glasgow.

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While that led to plenty of jokes on social media, at the stadium it went down well. The traditional dancing included The Gay Gordons and The Slosh line dance.

It was all about the lovey-dovey version of the Glasgow kiss. Not the type that saw Australian weightlifter Francois Etoundi fined in court for headbutting and breaking the nose of Welsh competitor Gareth Evans.

Earlier, the night kicked off with Scottish singer Lulu belting out Shout as the athletes burst out of tents where they'd been herded into just moments before the live broadcast - expected to be viewed by one billion - began.

With all the tents on the turf, and hundreds of coloured flags flying, the scene resembled a musical festival. That was until fire engines, tractors, garbage trucks and an ambulance drove into the stadium.

It was part of a musical tribute to the council and emergency workers who, the ceremony notes told us, "made these Games a reality".

"I'm honoured to receive this flag on behalf of the people of City of Gold Coast," the mayor said in a perfect Aussie drawl.

Subsequently, triple-world champion surfer Mick Fanning burst out of a TV screen on stage to tell the 36,500-strong crowd: "On the Gold Coast anything is possible."

The Australian flag was carried by three-time gold medal winner and Kookaburras captain Mark Knowles.

The royals were represented by Prince Edward and his wife Sophie. The Earl of Wessex formally declared the Games closed in his polished British accent.

Australian Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove were in the stands too. They'll also attend a Commonwealth commemorative service on Monday at Glasgow Cathedral to mark the centenary of the start of WWI.

After the closing ceremony the athletics track on which Sally Pearson won gold and Usain Bolt strutted his stuff will be dismantled within days.

The temporary field was built almost two metres above Scotland's most revered football pitch and by late November Hampden Park will be returned to Queen's Park Football Club.